CJ Velleman

Cyril John Velleman (born (1995-02-24)24 February 1995) is a South African rugby union player for the Eastern Province Elephants in the Currie Cup.^[1] His regular position is flanker.

CJ Velleman

Full name	Cyril John Velleman
Date of birth	(1995-02-24) 24 February 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth	Somerset East, South Africa
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	90 kg (200 lb; 14 st 2 lb)
School	Grey High School, Port Elizabeth
University	Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker Youth career 2011–2016 Eastern Province Kings 2015 NMMU Madibaz 6 (10) Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2014 Eastern Province Kings 3 (0) 2016–2020 Southern Kings 20 (5) 2020 Griquas 3 (0) 2021 Eastern Province Elephants 0 (0) Correct as of 27 March 2022

Career

Youth (2011–13)

Velleman was the captain for his school Grey High School at various youth levels, including the first team in 2012 and 2013.^[2] He also represented Eastern Province as various youth levels; he captained their Under-16 side at the 2011 Grant Khomo Week^[3] and played for their Under-18 side at the 2012 and 2013 Craven Week tournaments, also captaining Eastern Province at the latter tournament held in Polokwane.^[4][5]

Eastern Province Kings / NMMU Madibaz (2014–15)

Velleman was included in the Eastern Province Kings squad for the 2014 Vodacom Cup and made his first class debut on 15 March 2014 (a few days short of his 19th birthday) in their 60–6 victory over rivals Border Bulldogs in Grahamstown.^[6] A substitute appearance followed in their match against Western Province,^[7] as well as one more start against a Free State XV in Cradock.^[8]

In the second half of 2014, he captained the Eastern Province U19 team in the Under-19 Provincial Championship, his side's first season in Group A of the competition after they won promotion from Group B at the end of 2013. He started the season by scoring Eastern Province's second try in a 17–29 defeat to defending champions the Blue Bulls U19^[9] and maintained a good try-scoring record throughout the eleven matches that he played during season, scoring home-and-away against both the Golden Lions U19,^[10][11] and the Leopards U19,^[12][13] as well as a try at home against Western Province U19^[14] with his six tries making him Eastern Province's second-highest try scorer and points scorer behind fullback Malcolm Jaer.^[15] He was promoted to the Eastern Province U21 side for their final two matches of the 2014 Under-21 Provincial Championship; with the Under-21 team already having finished top of Group B by winning all seven of their matches during the regular season, Velleman joined them for the semi-final match against Limpopo Blue Bulls U21. He helped them to a 28–26 win in that match^[16] and scored a try in a 46–3 victory over SWD U21 in the final a week later to be crowned Group B champions.^[17] Velleman scored two tries in their subsequent promotion play-off match against Eastern Cape rivals Border U21, helping them to a 64–9 victory^[18] and a place in Group A of the competition in 2015.

At the start of 2015, Velleman played in the 2015 Varsity Cup tournament for the NMMU Madibaz. He made six appearances for the team as they finished in seventh position; it was a disappointing season for an NMMU side that qualified for the semi-finals in the last two competitions, but Velleman made his mark by scoring tries in their matches against NWU Pukke^[19] and UJ.^[20]

In March 2015, Velleman was named in an extended South Africa Under-20 training group as part of their preparation for the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship.^[21] He featured for them in a friendly match against a Varsity Cup Dream Team in April 2015.^[22] He was included in the S.A. Under-20 squad that toured Argentina in May 2015^[23] and started their first match, a 25–22 victory over Argentina.^[24] He didn't feature in the second match^[25] and also missed out on the final squad for the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship.^[26]

Velleman was the vice-captain of the Eastern Province U21 side in their first season in Group A of the Under-21 Provincial Championship following promotion from Group B in 2014. The team struggled throughout the competition, winning just one of their twelve matches to finish bottom of the log. Velleman scored two tries in a 24–40 defeat to the Golden Lions U21s^[27] and one more in their 31–45 defeat to Western Province U21,^[28] making seven starts during the competition, with injuries restricting his appearances.^[29]

Southern Kings (2016–)

In December 2015, Velleman was one of the first twenty players that signed contracts to play for the Southern Kings in the 2016 Super Rugby season.^[30]

References

1. "SA Rugby Player Profile – CJ Velleman". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
2. "Captain's profile: CJ Velleman". Rugby365. 8 August 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
3. (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 25 May 2011. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
4. "Eastern Province Craven Week Side 2013". SA School Sports. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
5. "Velleman lei OP op Cravenweek; Sintu vat Platteland-leisels" (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 30 May 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
6. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province Kings 60–6 Border Bulldogs". South African Rugby Union. 15 March 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
7. "SA Rugby Match Centre – DHL Western Province 56–22 Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 22 March 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
8. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province Kings 3–31 Toyota Free State XV". South African Rugby Union. 29 March 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
9. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls U19 29–17 EP Kings U19". South African Rugby Union. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
10. "SA Rugby Match Centre – EP Kings U19 13–16 Golden Lions U19". South African Rugby Union. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
11. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Golden Lions U19 7–18 EP Kings U19". South African Rugby Union. 16 August 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
12. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Leopards U19 26–32 EP Kings U19". South African Rugby Union. 2 August 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
13. "SA Rugby Match Centre – EP Kings U19 42–7 Leopards U19". South African Rugby Union. 12 September 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
14. "SA Rugby Match Centre – EP Kings U19 10–38 WP U19". South African Rugby Union. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
15. "SA Rugby Top Scorers – 2014 Absa Under 19 Competition". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
16. "SA Rugby Match Centre – EP Kings U21 28–26 Limpopo BB U21". South African Rugby Union. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
17. "SA Rugby Match Centre – EP Kings U21 46–3 SWD U21". South African Rugby Union. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
18. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Border U21 9–64 EP Kings U21". South African Rugby Union. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
19. "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB NWU-PUKKE 36–26 FNB NMMU MADIBAZ". South African Rugby Union. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
20. "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB NMMU MADIBAZ 13–42 FNB UJ". South African Rugby Union. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
21. "SARU names large group for Junior Bok trials". South African Rugby Union. 25 March 2015. from the original on 6 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
22. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Varsity Cup XV 24–31 South Africa U/20". South African Rugby Union. 21 April 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
23. . South African Rugby Union. 29 April 2015. Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
24. . Unión Argentina de Rugby (in Spanish). 12 May 2015. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
25. . Unión Argentina de Rugby (in Spanish). 16 May 2015. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
26. . South African Rugby Union. 20 May 2015. Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
27. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Golden Lions U21 40–24 EP Kings U21". South African Rugby Union. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
28. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Western Province U21 45–31 EP Kings U21". South African Rugby Union. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
29. . Eastern Province Rugby Union. 23 July 2015. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
30. (Press release). South African Rugby Union. 13 December 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.